Saddle pad



June 6, 1967 J. c. HILMER SADDLE PAD Filed Deo. 9, 1965 INVENTOR JOAN C. HILMER BY 1v.

ATTORNEYl United States Patent O 3,323,287 SADDLE PAD Joan C. Hilmer, 13664 Conway 1Road, St. Louis County, Mo. 63l41 Filed Dec. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 512,662 3 Claims. (Cl. 54--66) This invention relates in general to saddlery and, more particularly, to a saddle pad.

It is an object of this invention to provide a saddle pad which does not require the use of straps, ties, and the like, as retaining members for maintaining the pad in operative position; and which pad incorporates novel means for `co-action with the saddle for preventing any untoward displacement or shifting of the pad during usage.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a saddle pad which is constructed of durable, lightweight fabric; which is adapted for cleaning by washing, and may be quickly dried so that the cleaning process represents a substantial saving in time and expenditure over that requisite for existing saddle pads.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a saddle pad constructed of material which though highly durable and having friction producing surfaces isof adequate porosity so as to permit proper breathing or ventilation of the underlying portion of the horses skin.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a saddle pad which may be most economically produced; which is extremely durable in usage; and the use of which conduces to simplicity in saddling and unsaddling operations.

Other objects and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description, when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a saddle pad constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan View.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now by reference characters to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention, A generally designates a saddle pad contoured in conformity to a conventional English-type saddle, having a central portion 1 adapted for disposition upon the horses back and with wings or lateral portions 2, 2' projecting in opposite directions therefrom for disposition against the horses flanks and in underlying relationship to the side panels of the saddle (not shown). Said wings 2, 2' are continuous on their forward edges along a front margin 3, which may curve inwardly at its central portion, as at 3 (FIGURE 2) for conformity with the customary configuration of the related saddle.

Pad A is fabricated preferably of terry cloth, which is a certain weave of cotton, wherein the nap is loosely piled so as to present a soft yet irregular, roughened surface, as indicated at 4. Cotton flannel may also be a Inaterial of construction, but terry cloth is the material of choice.

Pad A consists of four layers or thicknesses of terry cloth. as indicated at 5, 6, 7, and 8 (FIGURE 4). Said layers or thicknesses are united or mutually secured in the manner of quilting; there being a multiplicity of lines of stitching, as at 9, which may follow a path conforming to the general contour of pad A, but which may be of any suitable character for assuring the fixed interrelationship of the layers S, 6, 7, and S, to prevent inadvertent relative movement therebetween and thus cause the same to form a cohesive unit.

Layers 5 and 6 at their outer margins are turned inwardly in overlapping relationship as at 5', 6', respectively, while the outer margins of the lower layers 7, 8 are similarly turned inwardly, but in an upward and thence inward manner in mutual overlapping relationship as at 7', 8', respectively, and in underlying relationship to the turned in portions 5', 6', so that saddle pad A is provided with a continuous edging, as indicated generally at 10, having a thickness double that of the body of the pad. In the present instance, said edging 10 will have a thickness equivalent to that of eight layers. The transverse extent of such edging is a matter of selection, but generally may be approximately one inch.

In usage, pad A is placed upon the back of the horse during the saddling operation, and then the English-type saddle is placed thereover. Upon tightening of the saddle belt, or so-called cinch strap, edging lll) of saddle pad A will be snugly sandwiched between the horses back and sides and the saddle. Said edging 10 is of such relative compressibility, so as to be reliably and rrnly gripped thereby and maintained against displacement. It will be seen that the normal spacing between the horses back and the edge portions of the saddle is completely filled with the said edging 10, so that the saddle is maintained in firm position against undesired shifting and pad A is likewise held against displacement.

Although pad A has been described hereinabove as being comprised of four layers of fabric which are doubled, as it were, on their edges, so as to create an eight-ply edging, it is to be understood that additional layers of fabric may be used without departing from the spirit of this invention, although four layers have been found preferable; it being understood that, desirably, an even number of plies or layers may be used so as to create a symmetrical edging 10.

Pad A, so constructed of terry cloth, has numerous properties, which clearly distinguishes same from currently known saddle pads, including the fact that pad A has a desired porosity so that adequate cooling of the engaged portion of the horses body is permitted. Under continuous activity, horses will perspire, and the incapacity of pads, heretofore used, to allow breathing has been a severe but reluctantly accepted drawback. Additionally, the roughened surface 4 of pad A conduces to friction production, both with the horses body and with the overlying saddle, whereby stability in operative position of both the saddle and said pad is assured.

Of singular importance is the fact that pad A can be readily laundered by any conventional washing process, whether by hand or machine, and is amenable for home cleaning. The same can easily be dried by conventional drying means, whether atmospheric or by a clothes drier. The ready cleansability of .pad A alone constitutes a decided improvement, since pads used at the present timehave presented severe problems either with respect to cleaning or drying or both. Felt pads, which have had a wide acceptance and use, despite the fact that the same do not allow breathing having limited absorptive qualities, must be dry cleaned, which is both a timely and a costly process. Horsehair pads, which also have but limited absorptive properties, must be subjected to atmospheric drying, so that a considerable time factor is involved. Sheep skin pads, which may be laboriously hand-washed, require extensive drying, as in the order of four days. The present invention will allow for cleaning and drying by every day procedures, so that users need no longer suffer either the continuous utilization of increasingly soiled pads or the constant rotation of a multiplicity of clean pads. Pad A may be cleaned readily between rides, as; over night.

It will be appreciated that edging 10 is of a substantially relatively greater thickness than the body of pad A, such as in the order of twice same, as shown in the above-described species of this invention This feature brings about a multiplicity of henecial and new results,

aaaaasr one of which is that it obviates the necessity of the customary straps or ties for maintaining the pad in position. The absence of such retention members presents a marked advance in the art, since the utilization of same has been general. The engagement of such edging between the saddle and horses back is adequate for maintenance of proper positioning of the pad and saddle throughout usage, with such feature allowing the major portion or body of pad A to be of reduced thickness, so that the same is somewhat less than the normal volume dened by the under portion of the saddle, the confronting portion of the horses back and said edging, to thereby allow suitable breathing space. This resilient, space-absorbing edging may, of course, be used with saddle pads, other than that of the present invention.

It should be understood t-hat changes and modifications in the formation, construction, arrangement, and `combination of the several parts of the saddle pad may be made and substituted for these herein shown and described Without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. For use with an animal saddle, a pad being formed from a plurality of layers of flexible material lcomprising a body portion and outer edge portions, the outer portions of said layers being folded upon themselves to provide a continuous edge portion of greater thickness than said body portion, said edge portion extending upwardly of, and downwardly below, the upper and lower faces respeetively of said body portion whereby the upper face of said body portion will be spaced from the confronting overlying portion of the saddle during usage for creation of an air space therebetween for ventilation purposes, said pad being of substantial configuration conformity to said saddle so that the margins of said edge portions will be aligned with the marginal edges `of said saddle whereby said pad edge portions will be gripped between the adjacent portions of the saddle and the underlying portions of the animal.

2. For use with an animal saddle, a pad as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by the outer portions of the upper layers being folded downwardly and inwardly and the outer portions of the lower layers being folded upwardly and inwardly, and means for securing the folds of said outer portions of said layers.

3. For use with an animal saddle, a pad as dened in claim l and further characterized by said pad being constructed from cotton material of relatively loose weave to provide porosity, and means interengaging said layers to prevent relative movement therebetween.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 742,701 10/1903 Maussner 54-65 2,072,188 3/1937 Tauber 54-66 2,461,899 2/1949 Humphrey 54-66 SAMUEL KOKEN, Primary Exomim'.

HUGH R. CHAMBLEE, Examnr. 

1. FOR USE WITH AN ANIMAL SADDLE, A PAD BEING FORMED FROM A PLURALITY OF LAYERS OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL COMPRISING A BODY PORTION AND OUTER EDGE PORTIONS, THE OUTER PORTIONS OF SAID LAYERS BEING FOLDED UPON THEMSELVES TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS EDGE PORTION OF GREATER THICKNESS THAN SAID BODY PORTION, SAID EDGE PORTION EXTENDING UPWARDLY OF, AND DOWNWARDLY BELOW, THE UPPER AND LOWER FACES RESPECTIVELY OF SAID BODY PORTION WHEREBY THE UPPER FACE OF SAID BODY PORTION WILL BE SPACED FROM THE CONFRONTING OVERLYING PORTION OF THE SADDLE DURING USAGE FOR CREATION OF AN AIR SPACE THEREBETWEEN FOR VENTILATION PURPOSES, SAID PAD BEING OF SUBSTANTIAL CONFIGURATION CONFORMITY TO SAID SADDLE SO THAT THE MARGINS OF SAID EDGE PORTIONS WILL BE ALIGNED WITH THE MARGINAL EDGES OF SAID SADDLE WHEREBY SAID PAD EDGE PORTIONS WILL BE GRIPPED BETWEEN THE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE SADDLE AND THE UNDERLYING PORTIONS OF THE ANIMAL. 